RE: Lesson Learned

[Guest guest]

Hi Guys:

On April 13, I sent my on-line information to Dr. Rutledge's office. I heard

nothing at all

from them or from my insurance company so I called Debbie on Tuesday, April 25.

She said

she had the information right there and she didn't know why, but it hadn't gone

to the

insurance company. She said's she'd fax it that day. On Thursday, April 27 I

got a hard copy

in the mail of what Debbie faxed to Blue Cross Blue Shield of land. Today,

a week

after I received the hard copy, I called my " dedicated representative " to see

what the status

of my approval was. She said she had not received anything from Dr. Rutledge's

office. I told

her I would mail a copy of Dr. R's paperwork to her today.

The lesson is that fax is not necessarily a dependable form of communication.

Today I am

copying the packet that Debbie faxed to my insurance company for approval and

mailing it to

my representative at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of land...who by the way is

so polite

and so nice that it's hard to be upset that this process is dragging.

The lesson is that if you, like me, live under 's Law, assume the worst.

I assumed Dr.

R's office got my information and forwarded it to my insurance. I have two very

good

insurance plans. My primary, BCBS of Md has approved this surgery for others and

my

secondary insurance, federal BCBS clearly says in writing that they do cover the

surgery....so

just because you have good insurance doesn't mean the process will go smoothly.

If I had it to do over again:

1. I would send my on-line information to Dr. R's office. I would wait ten

days. If I did not

get a copy of the paperwork they sent to my insurance company in the mail, I

would call

Debbie. She was very nice and very forthcoming with information.

1. I would immediately copy the packet Debbie sent me and mail the hard copy to

my

insurance company. Then three days after it was faxed from Dr. R's office, I

would call my

insurance company to see if they received it.

These are the lessons I have learned so far...this early in the process. So,

here it is three

weeks, exactly, into the process and my package is ready and my tests are done,

and my

insurance has not even seen any paperwork to give or deny approval.

Flo who is trying not to be whiney in land

Florence Ballengee

Hollywood, land

florence@...

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